HOSPITAL SYSTEM

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 133, 3 December 1930, Page 12

HOSPITAL SYSTEM

DR. VALINTINE'S WORK

APPRECIATION OF BOARDS

In bidding farewell to Dr. T. H. A. Valintine, on his retirement from the position of Director-General of Health, the members of the New Zealand Hospital Boards' Association to-day eulogised his work in connection with the establishment of the hospital system of the Dominion. On behalf of tho members of the Hospital Boards, Mr. W. Wallace, chairman of the association, made a presentation to Dr. Valintine in Recognition of his long and valuable public service. Mr. C. M. Luke, who apologised for the unavoidable absence of the chairman of the Wellington Hospital Board (Mr. F. Castle), referred to his many years' association with Dr. Valintine and the close friendship that had always existed between them. He had the highest admiration for Dr. Valiutiue's devotion to duty, and to his high ideals in regard to public health matters. Mr. Luke alluded to the recognition by visiting medical authorities! of tho excellence of the hospital system I cf New Zealand. The high standard of I our hospitals and of the health admin-1 istration of the Dominion was, said Mr. Luke, very largely due to Dr. Valintine. Tributes to the work of Dr. Valintino were paid by • Messrs. W. E. Knight (Dunedin), H. J. Ottley (Christchureh), J. K. Hornblow (Palmerston North), Hon. W. H. M'lntyre (Buller), J. 11. M'Carroll (Kaipara), F. Gillandors (Hawera), and W. Wallace (Auckland). Mr. Wallace said the New Zealand hospital system was itself a wonderful tribute to Dr. Valintine's vision, administrative ability, and genuine sympathy for the sick and suffering. In addition, Dr. Valintine's fine personality had endeared him, to all those connected with hospital administration in this country. Dr. Valintine, in reply, thanked the representatives of tho Hospital Boards for the kindly remarks they had made. To the members of the boards he owed a deep debt of gratitude for the able assistance they had given in the development of the hospital and social service system. He alluded to his early association with Mr. Luke in hospital work, and to the help of the late Sir John Salmond, then Solicitor-General, in the framing of the legislation on which the hospital system was founded. He appreciated highly the steadfastness, loyalty, and ability of the staff of the Department of Health, and the hearty co-operation of the Hospital Boards would always be remembered by him. "For a country of its size," he said, "we have every reason to be proud of our hospital system. In larger and richer countries, they may have more ornate and commodious hospital buildings, more expensive equipment, and better developed special departments, but taking everything into consideration, New Zealand has reason to feel that we have done extremely well." Ho paid a tribute to the tact, ability, and remarkable medical knowledge of his successor, Dr. M.. H. Watt. Dr. Valintine returned his thanks for tho presentation made to him by the members of the Hospital Boards, and remarked that if it had not been for the co-operation of the boards it would haye been impossible for our hospital system to have attained its present state of excellence.